“FGM Can End Within Ten Years With Youth Participation”, UNFPA Quotes #Vision 2030

Nafisat Ujiop, Joint Program Coordinator on Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation, has called upon youths in countries affected by FGM to take advocacy action.

Ujiop’s program is directly managed by United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA), the UN’s Sexual and Reproductive Agency.

“If young people can be mobilized worldwide to help stamp out the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, it can be ended within the next ten years”, Ujiop said in an interview with CNN recently.

This is coming just as the International Day of Zero Tolerance To FGM was celebrated on February 6th. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. It was first introduced in 2003. 

“In terms of intervention, I can say that we have reached a high level of political will and engagement from member states, to eliminate the practice of FGM”, Ujiop stated.

“We have also been able to support the African Union in their vision to accelerate efforts to end FGM by launching a campaign called Saleema last February 2019, to end FGM”.

“The most important for us is basically the young people who are representing almost 60% of the countries where FGM is prevalent, and who have the potential to support the mobilization”, Diop added.

In related news, the UNFPA have expressed concern over the increase of FGM triggered by the Covid-19 “stay at home” clause.

In a video posted earlier today, the UNFPA have asked people to remain aware and continue to kick against FGM.

The caption read:

⚠️ 2 million cases of female genital mutilation could take place by 2030, if we don’t speed up efforts to stop the spread of the #coronavirus.

2 million. Stop and think about that.

See how else #COVID19 could impact women and girls globally: https://t.co/y1ugPQnvTJ